I guess that I am finally cornered. I will have to admit that I am a Democrat and that I subscribe to the liberal wing of that party. Today that is called the progressive part of the Democratic Party. But as I progress into my 88th year, and this is being dictated on the Christian Sabbath, I want to make a full confession. I am a full-fledged Democrat.
As a Democrat, I followed the debate on the health bill with considerable interest. The Republicans opposed the bill at every turn and finally, a few days ago, their objections were overcome and Mr. Obama has signed that bill into law. As a Democrat, I stupidly believed that the insurance companies could reject me because of pre-existing conditions. I also believed that the insurance companies could cut off a patient whenever they got tired of paying him benefits. I know now that that is entirely wrong because the Republicans have insisted that was not the case. There are a number of other points on which I was also totally wrong. For all that, my apologies will not be enough to assuage the political damage that I may have done.
Now, we have Rush Limbaugh who has become, as far as the world can see, the face of the Republican Party. In a broadcast over his network which reaches something like several million viewers, Mr. Limbaugh has said in the past two days that “bastards” like me “ought to be wiped out.” Perhaps that is what was in his mind when he was thinking about the cross hairs on Sarah Palin’s rifle. In any event, I do not feel threatened by Rush Limbaugh’s bombast.
Now, on the subject of being a bastard, it is my belief that my parents were married somewhere around the year of 1905 or 1906. I have never seen a copy of their marriage certificate but given their religious nature, it would be unseemly to me to think that they would produce children out of wedlock. In point of fact, they produced eight children and I would conclude that, contrary to what Mr. Limbaugh says, none of them were bastards. There were six children that preceded me into this vale of tears and I assume that they would decry Limbaugh’s assertion about their lineage. But I have no real way of checking that, because they are all deceased. But Mr. Limbaugh has said that bastards like me ought to be wiped out for my sin of supporting health care reform. I suppose it is only a matter of time for Mr. Limbaugh to decide between beheading me and/or shooting me as well.
What Rush Limbaugh had to say flowed from a spirit of outrage. His outrage was sparked totally by hatred. There are 32 million Americans uncovered by health insurance whom I believe would all support the recent reforms that would give them such coverage. Was Rush Limbaugh going to call all 32 million of those folks bastards as well? Hatred is a consuming passion that underlines Rush Limbaugh’s broadcasts.
A few years ago, I wrote an essay about hatred. Curiously, the thought that went through my mind had to do with prayer. This is not to contend that people who pray are haters. To the contrary, it is to think that those who pray fervently take great comfort from having done so. Whether they expect the heavenly being to whom they have prayed to do anything about it remains to be seen. But what I am arguing here is that the benefits of prayer primarily go to the prayee, and that must make those who pray feel better. If that is the case, I say, “Please be my guest.” My belief is that people who hate, such as Mr. Limbaugh, take some satisfaction from delivering their scorn upon those whom they dislike or hate. I suspect that delivering his scornful messages to people such as me tends to make Limbaugh feel better. If that is the case, so be it.
I suppose that I am not alone in being the object of Rush Limbaugh’s plaints. Bart Stupak is a Congressman from the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. Stupak has tenaciously defended his position on abortions. He wants to wipe them out. The last hurdle in achieving agreement on the health care bill was Mr. Stupak’s insistence on having language that suited him. Remember that this bill had nothing to do with abortions. It was a health reform bill. But nonetheless, Stupak held out and was finally persuaded to accept some language proposed by the President that reaffirmed that the government does not pay for abortions, continuing a law that has existed for a good number of years.
I would have thought that Stupak’s hold-out would have made him a hero to those who oppose abortions. Specifically, I would have thought that he would be a hero to Rush Limbaugh. But that is not the case.
Since the health reform bill was signed, the telephone messages that Stupak has received are abominable. They seem to be hung up on accusing Mr. Stupak of wanting to have sexual intercourse with his mother. I have been around this earth for quite a while and I find it deplorable that Mr. Stupak was subjected to these kinds of messages. But as I say, those who hate know no real limits.
Well, there you have it. After holding out for all of these years, I have been forced to confess that I am a Democrat and that I supported the health reform bill. For all this, Mr. Limbaugh suggests that bastards like me ought to be wiped out. My uneducated guess is that once the health reform bill goes into effect, Americans will like it and will refuse to surrender any item in it. If the Republicans wish to run on a platform of repealing the health care bill, it will be made to order for the Democrats to prevail in forthcoming elections. But that does not alter the fact that Mr. Limbaugh has referred to me as a bastard who needs to be wiped out.
There is an ancient Missouri maxim that might apply here. It is that “I will eat the goose that relieves himself on Mr. Limbaugh’s grave.” I don’t eat fowl of any kind but for this occasion, to honor the goose, not Limbaugh, I will take a bite or two of the goose meat. And if Limbaugh elects to arise from the grave, I will see to it that he can have as many bites of that goose meat as he likes. Given the quixotic nature of things, it may well be that even I at my advanced age may outlast Rush Limbaugh. We will have to see about that.
E. E. CARR
March 28, 2010
Essay 446
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Kevin’s commentary:
I’m deeply shocked that I have known Pop for so long without ever suspecting that he was a damn dirty communist hippie… err, democrat. Maybe we could have staged an intervention or something. It would probably involve clutching at either huge stacks of money or the bible and reiterating how great they both are.
Meanwhile in 2012 and 2013, Rush is still a complete asshole and almost got ran off the airwaves but he hung in there like a sexist, awful little cockroach.
Pop agreeing to a bite of chicken, goose, or any largely water-dwelling bird is a big step up. Still though, one would think that such a goose should be celebrated instead of butchered.